Read the full article by Austin Fast (USA Today).
“Drinking water for at least 1 of every 7 Americans – about 49.5 million people – contains unsafe levels of ‘forever chemicals,’ according to new test results the Environmental Protection Agency published in November.
Since the EPA last updated these records in August, over 100 additional public drinking water systems have reported yearly averages of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, that exceed new limits the EPA approved in 2024.
USA TODAY’s analysis of the records shows water utilities in Anaheim and San Jose, California, and Brownsville, Texas, have now joined the 944 systems scattered across the country that have recently failed to meet the new EPA standards.
There are thousands of types of PFAS chemicals, which are nearly indestructible because they were engineered to repel liquids and heat. Scientists say they can accumulate in the human body and can increase the risk of certain cancers and other health problems when ingested.” …